96 books like The Art of Possibility

Supported by a wide range of examples drawn from various disciplines, this book demonstrates how we are only conscious of a small amount of what our hidden psychological machinery manufactures nonconsciously.

This work provides a key perspective needed to appreciate Julian Jaynes’s theory of consciousness and, thus his ideas on bicameral mentality. 

All my life I felt like someone was holding me back. Being introduced to the concepts in this book helped me understand that that person was . . . ME! I made this realization years before reading this book when I attended a workshop that was based solidly on the principles that Tracy Goss wrote about. The Last Word on Power boils down the paradigms and strategies that keep us human beings stuck, and reveals a path to a more powerful way of being where we recognize the difference between our interpretation and reality, as well as our own contributions to the interpretations that keep us stuck in old ways of thinking and being. The core of this is using language to create, rather than merely describe, reality, declaring and committing to possibilities that we currently have no idea HOW to achieve, and playing a bigger game in life that… show more.

On September 12, 1984 I relocated from South Florida to Los Angeles where I had just one friend who was preparing to move to NYC in 10 days. With a very small budget and no job, I was terrified about how things would turn out. 

Fortunately, on the long plane ride I read Creative Visualization in which I discovered the secrets to manifesting! Thanks to the lessons in this book, within two weeks I launched myself into a new home, a new career, and found a new best friend. This book is truly responsible for helping make my dream life come true.

It's no exaggeration to say this book changed my life. I read it when I was briefly home in the US during a four-year stint as an aid worker in West Africa. It caused me to think deeply about the next stage of life, which involved going to every country and eventually starting a blog that became a whole new career.

If you've read any other "life design" books in the past two decades, one way or another the authors were influenced by Barbara Sher. Go back to where it started!

I loved how Patrick Lencioni provided clarity and simplicity in avoiding the pitfalls which cause dysfunction among team members.

It’s a great reminder for me to have awareness in the five areas which include the absence of trust, a fear of conflict, a lack of commitment, avoidance of accountability, and inattention to results.

It also reminded me about the importance of building trust, being committed to the goal, holding each other accountable, and having open communication in building a healthy culture with your team.

Who doesn’t love Adam Grant? Just when I think he’s exhausted everything he could write about or interest me in, he comes up with something else!

I love his books across the board, but this one happened to come out as I started the process of an acquisition for my company and moving on to something new for myself, so it felt like great timing for me. His stuff is never dry, and he tells a TON of stories to highlight all his key points, which, as a storyteller myself, I really enjoy.

Ultimately, this book is great for anyone looking to achieve that “success unexpected in common hours” (and though it’s not one of my top five here, you can never go wrong with some Thoreau, either :)

Before I learned about emotions, I believed my anxiety and depression had to be managed but could not be healed at the root. Learning that emotions were not under conscious control and that they were physical experiences that had purpose and meaning changed the way I understood myself for the better. It changed my mental health permanently and in the best ways. It gave me permission to be more authentic. I felt less ashamed of my feelings and more confident that I could help myself and be better in relationships.

Christie Tate’s candid memoir made me feel like I was part of her therapeutic group experience. I could hear the dishes breaking when she took her anger out on them, and I jumped with joy at her successes.

With humor and vulnerability, she explores the complexities of relationships, mental health, and self-discovery. The book's engaging narrative and relatable insights make it a page-turner, providing a perfect distraction during a flight. Tate's wit and vivid writing create a sense of connection, making it an ideal companion for a solo journey.

Whether you're seeking introspection or simply a captivating story, this book offers a thought-provoking companion to your airborne adventure.

Dr. Doherty, a Professor in the Department of Family Social Science and Director of the Citizen Professional Center at the University of Minnesota has long been a voice for questioning the manner in which the psychotherapy field avoids the moral/ethical issues presented by our clients. 

Some of these ethical issues are presented directly by clients; others maybe be unacknowledged by them, such as the moral issues around whether to engage in a secret affair or to withhold important information from partners, friends, or business associates in order to attain personal gain. 

From Freud onward, psychotherapists have been trained to adopt a stance of ethical neutrality, with an emphasis on maximizing the client’s individual happiness, even if this means pursuing goals that may negatively affect the lives of those with whom they have important relationships. 

This emphasis on personal happiness above all else draws upon the larger Western Eurocentric emphasis on… show more.

As a psychologist, I know that depression is the common cold of mental illness, yet as a reader, I haven’t seen many books cover it well. This one is a recent exception.

The fact that BTS’s leader, RM, had this on his bookshelf during their Bon Voyage series may be the reason it has become an international bestseller, but Namjoon’s bookshelf aside, this memoir-meets-self-help narrative is so intimate, it almost feels pornographic.

I came for the title (tteokbokki makes me want to live too, so much so that it also makes a cameo in my own book as well) but stayed for the first-hand peek into one woman’s sessions with her therapist.